Portable vacuum forming apparatus

ABSTRACT

A portable vacuum forming apparatus consisting of a housing parallelepiped in form including hinged portions comprising a heating member, a vacuum member and a material holding member hinged to said housing swingable between said heating member and said vacuum member, said material holding member comprising an outer frame and an inner frame seating therein, and hinge means connecting said frames, said means resiliently yielding to accommodate various thicknesses of sheet material disposed between said frames and means locking said frames in operating position.

[111 3,822,978 July 9, 1974 Nichols PORTABLE VACUUM FORMING Hepworth 425/388 APPARATUS [76] Inventor: William R. Nichols, 7313 Garfield Prima ry Exammer-Robert L. Sprcer, Jr. Ave. S., Mmneapolls, Mlnn. 55423 Attorney, Agent, or Firm Leo Gregory Dec. 15, 1972 [22] Filed:

[57] ABSTRACT A portable vacuum formin 21 Appl. No.: 315,618

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SHE] 1 0F 4 I PAIENTEDJuL 9|97 4 sum 2 or a Pmmcm 91m I s-.ezzma IIIIIBIIIIIIIII PORTABLE VACUUM FORMING APPARATUS BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a portable vacuum forming apparatus.

Vacuum forming apparatus generally is regarded as representing a substantial piece'of machinery and generally comprises a permanent fixture.

It is desirable to have a vacuum forming apparatus for use in many areas wherein a large or permanent piece of apparatus would not-be practical. It is desirable to have such an apparatus for use as in creative or art classes in learning or training institutions and as for hobby use for home.

It is an object of this invention therefore to provide a relatively inexpensive portable vacuum forming apparatus.

It is another object of this invention to provide a compact arrangement of the essential elements for vacuum forming such that they may be assembled for carrying and for ready arrangement into operating position.

It is a more general object of this invention to provide a portable vacuum forming apparatus comprising a casing arrangement to be carried, said casing including a portion consisting of a vacuum pump having an apertured overlying plate, a hinged second portion of said casing including a heating element and a frame member swingable from a position overlying said heating element to a position overlying said apertured plate, said frame member being arranged to hold therein sheets of material to be formed.

It is a further object of this invention to have said above described frame member include means to accommodate various thicknesses of said sheets of material to be held therein.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are views in perspective on a reduced scale ofthe apparatus herein;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus in operating position;

FIG. 4 is a view in vertical cross section on an enlarged scale taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3 as indicated;

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, the structure comprising the subject matter of the invention herein and representing a portable vacuum forming apparatus and particularly a drape forming apparatus is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10. Generally stated said apparatus 10 is shown consisting of a housing 12 substantially parallelepiped in form having a central body portion 14 which includes a vacuum plate and vacuum pump having hinged at one side thereto as by a piano hinge 15 a body portion 16 which comprises a material holding member, and hinged to the other side thereof as by a piano hinge 17 is a body portion 18 which comprises the heating element and forms a heat table.

Said apparatus 10 is shown in its compact upright inoperative or carrying position in FIG. I supported on leg members 20. In FIG. 3 said apparatus is shown opened and disposed in operating position as hereinafter described.

Said central body portion 14 has an upper wall 22 comprising an apertured plate member forming a vacuum plate. Underlying said vacuum plate member 22 is a downwardly offset plate member 24 having a substantial central portion thereof spaced below said vacuum plate 22 forming a chamber or manifold 26. Underlying said plate member 24 and carried thereby and having communication with said chamber 26 is a vacuum pump 30. Said vacuum pump is a conventional structure and has a line 31 running to the On Vacuum position contact 32a of a two position toggle switch 32. A line 33 having a terminal 35 runs from the Off position contact 320 of said switch 32 to a power source.

Supporting said housing 14 when in operative position as indicated in FIG. 4 are leg members 38. Said body portion 18 in operative position is shown supported at its free end by a leg member 40.

Disposed within said body portion-l8 is a downwardly offset or recessed plate member 42 having inclined side walls 43 having a peripheral flange 44 thereabout secured as by screws to an upper flange portion 46 of said body portion 18. Carried on said plate member 42 and supported thereon by insulators 47 is a heating coil 48. Forming the upper wall of said body portion 18 is a fairly coarse mesh screen 50. A line 52 runs from the heating coil 48 to the On Heat position contact 32b of said toggle switch 32. A light signal 54 is provided wired to be energized when the switch is in one of the On" positions. Said switch is preferably adapted to automatically shut off the vacuum pump and hence the toggle must be held in On Vacuum position.

It will be noted in FIG. 4 that the body portion 18 swings outwardly sideways from said housing portion 14 as indicated in FIG. 1 and said portions 14 and 18 are then placed in a horizontal operating position as indicated in FIG. 4.

Said body portion 16 comprising a material holding member consists of an outer frame member 60, said frame member being right angled in cross section having an upstanding annular wall portion 62 having a right angled flange base portion 63.

Said base flange portion 63 has attached thereto an underlying layer of resilient material 65. Said frame member 60 is adapted to overlie the periphery of said vacuum plate 22 and is latched thereto for carrying purposes by a'toggle locking member centrally of the free side thereof as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 3.

' Disposed to be seated or nested in said frame member 60 is an inner frame member comprising a right angled upstanding annular wall 77 and an outwardly disposed flange 79, said flange 79 being adapted to seat on the adjacent underlying side of said flange 63. Un-

derlying said flange 79 is a strip 80 of resilient material. The rear flange portion 79a of said flange 79 extends adjacent the rear wall 62a of said outer frame 60.

One of the essential elements of novelty in the structure herein is the arrangement by which said inner frame member 75 by a hinge structure 84 is hinged to said outer frame member 60 as indicated in FIGS. 5-9. A pair of hinge plate members 85 are secured to said rear wall 62a of said frame member 60 in spaced relation as indicated in FIG. 7 with said hinge members being suitably secured as by screws 86 and having their lower end portions curved to form tubular hinge portions or knuckles 87 through which is disposed a flexible cylindrical hinge rod 90 extending the full length of the rear wall portion 77a of said wall 77. Said flange portion 79a which corresponds to said wall portion 62a carries thereon a plurality of hinge plate members 92 consisting of plate portions secured as by welding to said flange 79a and having reversely curved free end or knuckle portions 94 which are aligned with said hinge portions 87 to receive therethrough said rod 90. Hence it is seen that said rod 90 is secured to the flange 620 by the hinge members 85 and is secured to and carries the flange portion 790 and the inner frame member 75 by means of said hinge members 92.

The forward wall portion 62b of said wall 62 carries a pair of spaced toggle latch members 100 adapted to engage corresponding keepers 101 carried by said frame 60 to secure said frames together in operating position.

Adapted to be disposed into said frame 60 to overlie the flange 63 and to underlie the flange 79 for illustration of the operation thereof is a sheet of vacuum forming material 105 such as polystyrene to be used to be formed as will hereinafter be described by being draped over a removable mold 106 disposed to overlie the vacuum plate 22.

In FIG. I, a handle 107 is secured to the body portion 14 for carrying the apparatus.

OPERATION FIG. 1 shows the apparatus in its compact carrying condition. It is readily carried about by hand.

For use, the apparatus is opened up as shown in FIGS. 3-5 and the power line 33 will be plugged into a convenient electric current source.

The outer frame 60 is unlatched from the body portion 14 and the inner frame 75 is unlatched from said outer frame 60 as indicated in FIG. 6. A sheet of suitable material 105 for forming is layed into said frame 60 and is overlayed with said frame 75. The respective annular flange portions of said frames 60 and 75 secure said sheet therebetween and said inner frame is latched to said outer frame.

Said mold 106 is then placed to overlie the vacuum plate 22. The operator will then swing the frames 60 and 75 to overlie the screen 50 and the heating element 48 therebelow. The toggle switch is then moved to the On Heat" position. Said sheet 105 is then suitably heated.

Upon said sheet being suitably heated, the operator with one hand moves the toggle of said switch 32 from the On Heat to the On Vacuum position and holds said toggle in said position. At the same time the operator swings the sheet of material to overlie the mold 106. Upon said sheet becoming draped over the mold and drawn thereunto by the operation of the vacuum pump 30, said toggle is then released to Off position. With respect to said toggle switch, it must be held in the On Vacuum position or else it will automatically move to Off position. The frame 75 is unlatched and swung away from the frame and the formed sheet 105 therebetween is removed.

A particular element of novel structure is present in the adaptability of said frames and 60 to accommodate a range of thicknesses of sheets of said material to hold said sheets in a tight secured position. The novelty is present in the structure of the hinge 74.

It is noted that the flexible hinge rod 90 is secured to the flange portion 62a by the hinge members and is secured to the flange portion 77a by the hinge members 92. The respective hinge members 92 and 85 are spaced apart laterally sufficiently that when stress is placed upon the flange 79a by an underlying sheet of material, that said flange portion and the overlying hinges 92 carried therebetween urge said hinge rod upwardly to provide necessary clearance to accommodate various thicknesses of sheet material. Said hinge rod yields upwardly between said hinge members 85 as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. Thus there is maintained a securegripping upon the sheet of material inserted into said frame 60. The initial clearance provided between said frames 60 and 75 as indicated in FIG. 9 is a clearance to accommodate a minimum sheet thickness of the material to be used for molding purposes.

The apparatus has proved to be very successful in use due to its portability and due to its operation in very nicely receiving various thicknesses of sheet material for molding purposes and securely holding the same in the operation of the apparatus.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of the invention herein which, generally stated, consists in an apparatus capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A portable vacuum forming apparatus including a vacuum member and a heating member, having in combination a material holding member comprising an outer frame member,

an inner frame member seated within said outer frame member in operating position,

said members having superposed flange portions holding a sheet of material therebetween,

a hinge swingably connecting a pair of adjacent sides of said frame members, said hinge comprising a plurality of hinge plate members secured to said pair of adjacent sides of said frames, alternate of said hinged plate members being secured to said outer frame and the remaining of said hinged frame members being secured to said inner frame, said hinged plate members being in laterally spaced relation,

said hinged plate members having axially aligned tubular portions,

a flexible rod disposed through said tubular portions of said hinged plate members, and

said rod flexing providing adjustable vertical spacing between said inner and outer frame members in operating position accommodating various thicknesses of sheet material therebetween. 

1. A portable vacuum forming apparatus including a vacuum member and a heating member, having in combination a material holding member comprising an outer frame member, an inner frame member seated within said outer frame member in operating position, said members having superposed flange portions holding a sheet of material therebetween, a hinge swingably connecting a pair of adjacent sides of said frame members, said hinge comprising a plurality of hinge plate members secured to said pair of adjacent sides of said frames, alternate of said hinged plate members being secured to said outer frame and the remaining of said hinged frame members being secured to said inner frame, said hinged plate members being in laterally spaced relation, said hinged plate members having axially aligned tubular portions, a flexible rod disposed through said tubular portions of said hinged plate members, and said rod flexing providing adjustable vertical spacing between said inner and outer frame members in operating position accommodating various thicknesses of sheet material therebetween. 